Go Gaia!
by Jellybean Disaster
Summary: [AU VxH]Hitomi is just another average teenager trying to get through school. Little does she know that she's in for the school year of her life! Between classes, romance, and mystery, Hitomi is crossing brand new and potentially dangerous territories...
1. Interesting Encounters

Hitomi sat on her bathroom counter, leaning over, her neck craned over her toes as she carefully painted them a scarlet red. Carefully, she lifted her hand up and closed the bottle of nail polish. She grabbed her blow-dryer, turning it on and drying her toes.

Hitomi Kanzaki, 16, sophomore, wannabe track star. Hitomi was content with her life in Kyoto. Her social life blossomed, her grades were at the top, and she was just an average little girl trying to find her love. And soon after her sweet sixteenth birthday, her parents broke some _big news._

"We're _WHAT?_"

Hitomi jaw dropped. Her eyes went wide as saucers.

"Dad has a new job," her mother said sweetly, "We're going to be moving to Tokyo in a month!"

Hitomi, unable to grasp what was just thrown at her earlier that day, still had her jaw dropped.

"We're _WHAT?_"

"I told you, sweety, we're—"

"I _know THAT part! _You're supposed to LIE and tell me it's ALL A DREAM!"

Her mother laughed, turning to the kitchen counter and washing the fruit in the strainer under the faucet.

"You'll still be in touch with your friends…besides, it's like a new adventure. Just look at it that way," her mother said, tossing the fruits in the strainer.

Hitomi paused.

"We're _WHAT?_"

"Oh, go paint your toenails. That's what you do when you're upset about something, isn't it?"

Go Gaea!

Chapter One:_Interesting Encounters_

Sighing, Hitomi turned another page through her address book, as she called up names, one by one. All that was left was her best friend, Chiharu, whose number Hitomi knew be heart.

_Ring…ring…ring…_

"Hello?"

"Hey Chiharu."

"Hey hun. What's up?"

There was a slight sigh from Hitomi's end of the phone.

"How to explain this…"

"Just spill," Chiharu gushed.

"I'm _moving._"

There was a slight hesitation. Chiharu gapped at Hitomi's short sentence. Immediately, she fell back into her bean bag chair with a surprise looked on her face.

"You're _kidding_?"

"No, I'm not…I even painted my toenails and everything. My mom gave me this bullshit lecture today about how, "it's going to be a new adventure!'," she mocked her mother's voice, "and how I should look at it that way."

"You're mom's weird."

"Yeah, I know."

"When are you moving?"

"In a month, the rentals tell me."

"A month? So we still have some happy funky groove time?"

"Hell yeah."

"Party at my house."

- - -

And so, our story begins here. Within a month's time, Hitomi made the best of her happy funky groove time in Kyoto by happily funkily grooving, and she watched sadly as her parents packed several cardboard boxes into their van. Hitomi turned around, looking at the small, one-story house that they owned.

"Some adventure," Hitomi grumbled.

She had to admit; going to a new city with new people was going to be exciting…but in high school? Who moves in high school? That's the _worst _thing you could ever do to your sixteen-year-old daughter! Hitomi let out another sigh as she hugged her stuff bunny and her pillow with a duffle bag slung over her shoulder.

"Bye, house," she said quietly, "bye old life."

"Hitomi! We're leaving!"

Hitomi shuffled her feet along, looking at the ground and the white pavement on their driveway. She piled into the back seat and stuff her pillow against the door as soon as she shut it. Hitomi pulled her seatbelt over her, clicking it into the end piece. She clutched her stuffed bunny and pouted at the note that was tied around it's neck:

_Dear Hitomi:_

_I hope this bunny reminds you of our friendship! Don't forget and call me everyday! _

_Love, _

_Chiharu _

"So," her dad piped into her daughter, "are you ready for the 'new adventure?'"

"No."

"Ah, okay."

- - -

It smelled like cardboard all day in that house. It was making Hitomi sick. A headache had beset her. The drive was long. Long, and boring. So boring, Hitomi resorted to counting cars on the way there and watching the sun sink down into the horizon. It wasn't long until she fell asleep. When she woke up, her parents had already begun to unload all of their things.

Hitomi's new room was small; but still comfy. Everything was still in boxes and the summer heat got to her. She opened her window, the summer breeze crawling in. The only thing that she had open was her laptop and her internet, so she was able to access her AIM.

Ah, the internet would be the death of her someday.

"What was that new school?"

Hitomi picked up the packet that was sent to her for enrollment.

"Gaea High? How lame…" she sighed. Sluggishly, she flipped through the packet lazily, not really taking any interest into anything in the packet. She did stop however, at the sport section and read all about Gaea's track team. It had a list of all of the people that were on it and what the best track records were.

And then, there was a picture, and underneath, there was bold print that said, _Star Player_. Hitomi glared at the image.

_I was the star player at my old high school..._Hitomi thought lazily as she looked at the girl's picture. She was in mid-run, her long, raven black hair tied back in a pony-tail. Her face had determination written all over it, but somehow, Hitomi looked at her picture and saw a beautiful, sweet innocent girl.

She looked at the picture's caption.

_Azalea Anderson, star tack player of Gaia High, makes an amazing finish at last week's 100 meter dash at Gaia vs. Central track meet._

"Sweet…" a small smile crept across her face. The sound of a new IM caught Hitomi guard and she jumped.

"Hey!" it read. It didn't take Chiharu long to long on.

"Hi," Hitomi typed back, "it didn't take long for you to sign on."

"Honestly, Hitomi," Chiharu smiled as she typed, "the internet will be the death of you."

"Yeah."

Suddenly, Hitomi's ears picked up the smooth engine of a black car rolling into the driveway of the house next to her. The headlights had caught her eyes and she looked out the window. A black-haired figure opened the car door and pulled out some keys from his pocket. He was wearing what looked like a read turtle-neck and a black jacket with black pants.

Hitomi got a short glance at him just as he entered his house.

"I wonder who that was…"

The chime of another IM caught her attention.

"So how's life?" Chiharu typed. Hitomi sighed, trying to find words for her "new life". What new life? This was hell, she noted bitterly. She was bored. It was a school night, and tomorrow would be her first day at this infamous 'Gaia High' that her parents were 'so excited' to send her to. Hitomi almost gagged.

"It's…okay," Hitomi typed back, "I guess it's not going to be as bad as I'd imagined it to be."

"Hitomi!" her mom called from down stairs, "C'mon, shut it down! Go to bed, you've got to get up early tomorrow!"

Hitomi sighed, typing her last response to her best friend.

"Hey, I've got to go. Be on tomorrow, okay? I love you, bye!" she typed fast and hit the start button on her windows program and shut the computer down. She could hear her whole tower calm down as she moved over to her bed, which was surrounded by both empty and full cardboard boxes.

She picked up the packet and flipped through to see Gaia's extracurricular activities. There was an article at the top of it, reading, "The Dragonslayers opening performance for back to school!"

Hitomi coughed.

"They have their own _band?_" Hitomi thought allowed.

"Lights _out, _young lady!" Hitomi's mom barked. Hitomi sighed and turned off her lamp before she could read anymore about it.

- - -

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Hitomi's eyebrow twitched.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

_Go away…stupid…alarm…_

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

"HITOMI KANZAKI GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED RIGHT NOW!" her mother screamed from downstairs.

"Nyuuuuu…" she whined, smacking the snooze button, "I hate life…"

Hitomi fell from her bed, taking the comforters and sheets with her as she hit the ground, crawling towards the door. She got back up and opened up her door, heading towards the bathroom to jump into the shower.

The hot water felt nice on her back and the soap soothed her shoulders. It was strange; she had woken up very sore, and she wasn't quite sure why, either. Hitomi shook her head and turned off the shower nosel and grabbed the towel, stepping out and looking into the mirror. When the fog from the steam and worn off, she looked at her digital clock next to her blow dryer.

Hitomi casually grabbed her hair utensil and casually glanced at the clock. 7:45.

_Ah, 7:45. I've got time…O.O WAIT 7:45 WTFOMG!_

Hitomi did a double take. School started in fifteen minutes. Her heart came out of her chest practically and Hitomi made a break for it and wrung out her hair, throwing it into a sloppy pony tail.

"SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!" Hitomi hissed to herself, throwing off her towel and throwing on her new school uniform. The basic beige blazer, and the brown skirt and collar, complete with the red bow.

Hitomi tripped, stubbing her toe as she grabbed her bag, flying down the stairs.

"BYE MOM!" she shouted, on her way out the door. SLAM! Hitomi's mother came and looked after her. She blinked.

"You forgot…your lunch," she sighed.

- - -

"THIS SUUUUUUCKS!" Hitomi shouted to no one in particular. She was panting as she flew down the sidewalk, trying to remember where her school was. She looked at her watch. It was blinked '7:55'

Hitomi whined.

"I can't believe this!" she kept shouting at herself, wet pony tail bouncing along with her. Hitomi stopped, catching her breath. It was then that she heard the sound of a car engine pulling over at the sidewalk, making her look up.

In the driver's seat, the raven-haired boy, looking oddly at the girl who had been swearing at herself the entire way from her house. He rolled down the window. Hitomi gulped, taking a step back away from the car.

_What the hell? C'mon, I can't get kidnapped now!_

"Are you headed towards Gaia?" he asked loudly from his seat. Hitomi nodded, unsure of what to do. She edged closer to the car, trying to get a glimpse of him. She let out a small gasp.

"Hey, are you…?" she started.

"I know you just moved in next door to me. Look, I'm on my way to school. Do you need a ride?"

Hitomi instantly recognized who it was. She remembered that this boy had pulled into the driveway the night before. Hitomi nodded slightly, walking towards the car and opening the car door, sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Oh, I'm Van by the way," he said, a straight face on. He turned to Hitomi, smiling slightly, "and you are…?"

"OH! Uh, Hitomi! Hitomi Kanzaki," she eagerly stretched out a hand to shake his, in which it was returned gingerly, "It's nice to meet you. Thank you so much for the ride."

Van shifted the car into drive. He hit the accerlator slightly.

"Hey, no problem," he said casually, "I know you and your family just moved in, eh?"

"Oh, yeah," Hitomi nodded, looking at the passing world through the car window, "Yeah, we moved in from Kyoto."

"Kyoto, eh? That's nice," he replied, "What year are you?"

"Oh, I'm a sophomore. Still kinda young, I know," she giggled. Van smiled slightly.

"What year are you?"

"Senior. I'm really glad, too," he added with a laugh. Hitomi's jaw dropped.

"You're _old_!" she replied. Van grinned awkwardly before chuckling.

"Uh, thanks?"

"Well, no, I didn't mean it in a bad way, it's just I've never really gotten along with seniors in my past."

"Yeah, that's believable. Gaia isn't really like that, though…" he trailed off, turning a corner and slowing down the car. He stopped it at the entrance, where the bell rang. Hitomi whined.

"Man, I gotta go," Hitomi cursed, "Thanks for the ride, Van. I'll see you later, I guess," she smiled and got out of the car, closing it behind her. She waltzed into the school's iron gates, where she was greeted by a number of stares as Van zoomed off to go park his car.

- - -

"Uhhh…let's see…" Hitomi looked at the room number on her schedule. She looked around the wide halls of Gaia, wondering where to go. The school sure was big, she noted to herself, and the halls ere lined with endless rows of locker banks, after locker banks, after locker banks. And one vending machine.

Hitomi winced. She didn't want anyone to think she was ditching or anything. Hitomi passed the walls of Gaia, where student-organized activities would hang advertisement posters for clubs and other things. But Hitomi looked upon an even bigger poster that at the bottom read, "The dragonslayers – back to school concert!"

Hitomi cocked an eyebrow.

_WTF. This school has it's own band. I remember reading the title about it, but I never got to read the rest of it. The dragonslayers? What kind of cheap-ass name is _that?

Before Hitomi could ponder anymore, someone had tapped her on the shoulder. Hitomi jumped, spinning around, bowing furiously.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, I was on my way to class, but then I got lost see I'm new and I don't really know where I'm going I was going to ask for help but then there was no one in the halls so I'm really not ditching or anything like that so don't give me a detention or anything pretty pleeeeeeease?" Hitomi rambled in one breath. She was greeted by a hefty laugh.

When Hitomi looked up to see who was laughing at her, she starred wide-eyed. The girl stopped laughing, and bright, golden-amber eyes looked warmly at Hitomi. Straight, perfect raven-black (almost Van's color, she noted) fell down to her waist. She smiled gingerly at Hitomi, who looked up, curious.

"Are you new?" she asked, "I saw you wondering around her when the bell rang twenty minutes ago…"

"Yeah," Hitomi sweatdropped, "I'm lost…"

"Oh, so you are new," she stood up, "Do you need some help?"

Hitomi sighed, looking down, scuffing her feet.

"Yeah…"

"Hahaha, don't feel bad," she continued, "I was lost when I first came to Gaia…it's a big school, so you shouldn't feel bad. Here, let me see your schedule."

Hitomi handed her the crumpled piece of paper, and watched as her amber eyes squinted and analyzed it. A smile spread across her face as she nodded one quick nod and handed Hitomi's schedule back.

"You've got English first with Deathrow Dellis."

"Deathrow Dellis?"

"Her name's Ms. Dellis," she laughed, "But everyone calls her Deathrow Dellis because she's a harsh grader."

Hitomi sighed.

"What year are you?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm a sophomore."

"Oh, great! That's a great year, really it is."

"I wish I could say the same…" Hitomi said sadly, looking down at the ground again. The girl let out another laugh.

"Aww, cheer up. Did you just move here?"

Hitomi nodded.

"Ooo! Where from?"

"Kyoto…"

"Oh, so that's a big move for ya, huh?"

Hitomi nodded.

"Oh don't worry. It's scary at first, but you'll make friends. I'm a senior now, and I remember when freshman year I had _no _friends…Like me, see? I saw your schedule, and we've got the same option. You can come and sit by me if you want…?"

"Oh, it's Hitomi. Hitomi Kanzaki."

Hitomi put out a hand and she gracefully shook it.

"Azalea Anderson," her amber eyes sparkled, "C'mon, before they think you're ditching."

Hitomi did double-take.

"Y…your _Azalea Anderson?_" Hitomi stuttered. Azalea blinked, looking at her with a curious frown.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No no no no, it's just that I read about you in Gaia's newspaper! Your Gaia's track star, aren't you?"

"Oh," Azalea blushed, chuckling, "Thank you, but I'm hardly any star. I just really like track…are you going to be on the track team?"

"Yeah, totally!"

"Oh, great!" Azalea put a big smile on again, putting her hands together, "We've actually got a track informational meeting after school today, so you should come."

"Oh…well…umm…I don't really know…"

"Well, I'll tell you all about where to go and stuff at option today. So don't worry about it, okay?"

Hitomi nodded.

"Hey, by the way…"

"Hm?"

"Do you know someone by the name of Van Fanel?"

"Van?" Azalea said, eyes widening slightly, "Um, yeah…"

"Why do you say it that way?"

Azalea let out a sigh, looking the other way.

"I'll tell you later."

"Alright…" Hitomi trailed off, looking at her schedule again. She looked back at Azalea again.

"Thank you _so _much, Azalea."

Azalea smiled, shaking her head.

"It's no problem!"

Hitomi followed Azalea down the hallway, the distant laughter and chatter of the classrooms around them. They turned several corners, and Hitomi thought for a minute that she'd never be able to find her first period class by herself tomorrow. But something sort of clicked, and so she knew where to go. She hoped, at least. Azalea stopped, pointing at the class room to the right of them.

"It's right in there," she said, "have fun," she finished sarcastically. Hitomi smiled at her before heading into her first period class. She stopped short and stood, standing in the threshold of the door, after Azalea had left her.

"Can I help you?" the teacher asked, a pointy nose and thin-rimmed glasses on the tip of her nose.

"Uh…" Hitomi started nervously, but quickly bowed, "I'm Hitomi Kanzaki, ma'am. I'm new…"

"Oh," she said bluntly, "I see. Well, come on it, don't just stand there. There's a chair in the back of the room behind Yukari. Yukari, will you please stand?"

Yukari Uchida, the same year as Hitomi, stood up so Hitomi could see her. She almost looked like Azalea, though her hair was much more brown and short. Her demeanor was almost clam as brown eyes looked warmly at the new student. Hitomi smiled plainly and made her way to the back of the classroom. Some of the students snickered at her.

She looked around nervously before taking her seat behind Yukari.

"It's nice to meet you," Yukari whispered. Hitomi nodded back. And so class resumed. Well, Hitomi hoped it would, anyway, but she was too caught up in her daydreaming. In fact, Hitomi looked around the classroom. She hoped maybe she'd make at least a _few _friends...at least she had Van. That was always good.

However, she couldn't figure out why Azalea had let out a huge sigh at the mention of Van Fanel…

- - -

A/N: So before you start hitting me over the head with your books or whatever, hear me out! Yes, I –know- I have to finish Esca: AU, but I figured I'd be able to write this much more quickly then Esca: AU, so I can just throw this at you to read in the meantime. I'm going to have _a lot _of fun writing this, because it'll be pure VxH fluff. So you'll keep reading and reviewing, yes? 3

-FMB, September 21, 2005


	2. The 411

Homework on the first day of school. Figures.

Hitomi got busy and took out her pencil, scribbling on the assignment that was due for the day. She squinted up at the chalkboard to see what the assignment was again.

_Write a paragraph about your goals for this year_, it read. Hitomi sighed. What a good question that was. In fact, she was still trying to find _friends _let alone _goals_…she sighed, resting her chin on her hand, in deep thought.

_So…what goals do I have?_

_----_

Go Gaia!

Chapter 2: The 4-1-1

----

Hitomi put the pencil down and began to write about track. Everything about track, what she wanted to do, and how she was going to do it. She couldn't wait to feel the wind against her face again. How she missed it back at her old school. The thing was, Hitomi loved running. And she had always wanted to show everyone that she was the most amazing running anyone had ever seen.

Within seconds, Hitomi had filled up half the page about her track goals. She felt a tap on the shoulder. Hitomi turned around.

"Huh?"

"Hitomi, right?" Yukari whispered, "You have _super _nice handwriting."

Hitomi smiled strangely.

"Uh, thanks?"

"No, seriously. I didn't know you liked track…I'm going to be on the track team, too!"

A smile quickly grew on Hitomi's face.

"Really? That's great," Hitomi whispered back, "Awesome. I'm really glad. See, it's been kind of a weird morning. It's not like I meant to come in late, or anything…"

"Whatever. Deathrow Dellis doesn't care. She just cares about failing you," Yukari muttered sarcastically, "Hell, I come in late everyday…But enough about that!"

Hitomi blinked.

"What period do you have option?"

"Oh, uh, 6th."

"Aw, damnit!" Yukari cursed, "I have it 7th."

Hitomi looked downward, "Bummer."

"Where did you move from?"

"Kyoto," Hitomi replied, "It's a ways away from Tokyo anyway."

"That's really cool that you're on the track team, I know I just _love _running. Ever since I was a little girl, I'd run places, and no one could stop me, you know?" Yukari laughed. Hitomi smiled.

"Thank you…" Hitomi said quietly. Yukari blinked.

"For what?"

"Talking to me. It seems like…is it just me, or is everyone here starring at me funny?"

Hitomi casually glanced over at the students in their class. Yukari did the same. As soon as the two of them turned their heads to look at the students, there was a collective head turning, and the students looked busy, some faking whistling, or looking the other way. Hitomi's shoulders drooped.

"Don't worry, it's just because you're new. They'll get used to you. Okay, so track talk! Are you going to the informational meeting?"

"Uh, when is it? I met the girl who's arranging it, she's super nice, I think her name's Azalea, she even invited me to sit with her at opt—Yukari? Are you okay?"

By this time, Hitomi had the attention of every single female in the classroom. Yukari looked at her as if a deer had spotted oncoming headlights. The girls in the classroom had their eyes pinned on Hitomi, waiting for the next sentence like a tiger hunting it's prey. Hitomi let out a nervous laugh.

"_Azalea Anderson? THE Azalea Anderson?_" Yukari hissed. Hitomi blinked.

"Uh, yeah, that was her name. She was really nice, Yukari. She even offered to sit with me at option."

The expressions of the female students went rigid with jealousy.

"_Azalea Anderson invited –you- to sit with –her almighty goddess-?_"

Hitomi looked to her side. The girls around her were fuming with rage.

"Uh…Yukari…" Hitomi edged, "Can…you keep it…down?'

"_Azalea Anderson, the most beautiful girl to have ever lived, actually _talked _to you and personally invited you to come _sit _with her?_"

Hitomi nodded slightly.

The girls immediately turned around and whispered, hissing to one another.

"_What the hell? I can't believe that new girl thinks she's gotten it all just because Azalea talked to her…"_

"_What right does she even _have _talking to Azalea Anderson?_"

"_She isn't –worthy-! Azalea is too good for her._"

"_Why can't _I _sit with Azalea?_"

Yukari's eyebrow twitched.

"_SHUT UP! YOU JEALOUS BITCHES! HITOMI HAS EVERY RIGHT IT THE WORLD SO UP YOURS!_" Yukari roared. The class fell dead silent. Deathrow Dellis turned to Yukari.

"Ms. Uchida," she said curtly, her tiny glasses shimmering in her direction, "do you have something you want to share with the class?"

Yukari blushed.

"Nothing, ma'am."

The teacher cocked and eyebrow and returned to her grading. Yukari fumed at the girls around her and looked at Hitomi, who was grinning.

"Thanks, Yukari," she whispered. Yukari shook her head.

"Don't mention it. And don't pay attention to them. They're just a bunch of attention whores who didn't get enough love from their parents when they were kids."

"Yukari," Hitomi started, "Why is Azalea respected the way she is?"

"Hitomi, Azalea is _beautiful…_" Yukari trailed off, "isn't she? It's every girl's dream to be just like her. She's fit, beautiful, and she's got a _suuuuuuper good-looking boyfriend…_" Yukari trailed off. She let out a dream-like sigh.

"Who's her boyfriend?"

"_Dalet Meridian_" Yukari said, still dreamy. A collective squeal escaped from the girls around them. Yukari glared at them, and they looked down, collectively mumbling 'sorry' for eavesdropping.

"Dalet Meridian? Who's he?" Hitomi asked innocently.

Yukari's jaw dropped.

"How could you _not _know?" Yukari whispered frantically, "Did you read about anything in the back-to-school packet?"

Hitomi shook her head.

"Actually, do you mind if you answered me something? Why does this school have it's own band? The dragonslayers, I think?"

There was a silence in the room. A very awkward one at that. Yukari starred at her with wide-eyed.

"_YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE DRAGONSLAYERS ARE? THEY'RE ONLY THE MOST GORGEOUS GROUP OF BOYS WITH THE MOST ANGELIC VOICES EVER!_"

Every girl in the room became giddy and screamed.

Deathrow Dellis cleared her voice loudly. The girls stopped and immediately fell silent.

"I didn't know they were that popular…"

"Oh _of course _they are, Hitomi. They aren't in anyway related to the school. It's completely voluntary. The dragonslayers even have their own _fanclub_," Yukari flashed a smile while taking out her membership card. Hitomi sweatdropped.

"Are you kidding?"

"No, totally not joking. Azalea has it good…she's the girlfriend of Dalet, who's one of the band members," Yukari explained, "Are you coming to their concert tonight?"

"Concert? Oh right…"

"There's a concert alright," Yukari replied, "You should come and hear them. They really are good. It's every Gaia girl's _dream_ to go out with one of them…"

"Maybe the reason why everyone wants to be Azalea's friend is because Dalet is her boyfriend, and then she must be friends with the dragonslayers."

"Yeah," Yukari nodded, "It makes me sick."

"Then Azalea must be really lonely…"

There was a strange silence.

_Maybe that's why she came up to me. Because she knew I was a new student who knew nothing of her social status. Because she was hoping I'd see her as Azalea, and not a tool to be used to gain popularity._

_Wow…Azalea must be really lonely_.

"By the way, why were you so late this morning?"

"Oh, I just woke up late. I was kinda up late last night, and stuff…" Hitomi trailed off, "it was bad because I was on my way to school, and I totally knew I was gonna get here like, ten minutes after the bell, but some kid that goes here gave me a ride."

"Wow, you're awfully trusting."

"Well, no, he's my neighbor. I saw him pull into his driveway last night."

"Ooooh…" Yukari nodded, "Stalking him already, I see."

Hitomi blushed.

"H-hey! I-it's n-not what you think!" Hitomi argued. Yukari merely replied with a simple "uh-huh".

"What's his name?" Yukari added on in a more serious tone.

"Oh, you probably don't know him. He's not popular like the dragonslayers anyway."

"Spit it out," Yukari giggled.

"Van Fanel," Hitomi said, scribbling a few more sentences to her paper. Yukari dropped her pencil.

"_Van Fanel? _Hitomi, what is this? Some kind of joke?"

"What's a joke?"

"Azalea comes and shows you to your first period class while inviting you to sit with her, and Van Fanel gives you a ride to school," Yukari shook her head, "Hitomi, you are living a Gaia girl's _dream_."

"Who is he?"

"Van Fanel is the _hottest senior ever_," Yukari assured her, "but he's very shady. I think that's why no one is really open about their crushed on him. It's almost like he's hiding some deep dark secret…but _every single girl _has a crush on him…"

"Deep dark secret?"

"I don't know, something juicy," Yukari grinned. Hitomi half-smiled. At that moment, Hitomi didn't feel like mentioning anything about how Azalea had said that it was a long story as to how she knew Van Fanel.

- - -

Hitomi was stuck with study hall a couple of periods left. With first period English with Yukari, second period chemistry, and third period Algebra, she already needed a break. Hitomi huffed and started towards the vending machine, fishing through her purse to find some change to purchase some sort of snack.

She started towards the vending machine and got a soda instead. The carbonated drink fizzed at the top as it vended, and Hitomi reached into grab it. She turned around, while opening the cap, and didn't bother to watch where she was going.

Hitomi bumped straight into a tall, pale boy. The soda fizzed and exploded everywhere on his shirt. Hitomi let out a huge gasp and covered her mouth as she looked up at his face.

Garnet-colored eyes and a pale face starred straight at her. Hitomi backed up, reaching into her purse for some napkins. The boy stood there, watching what she would do. The people around her starred at her, gawking madly. Immediately, the females around her at the time began to dig furiously into their purses to find some napkins, whispering frantically to each other.

"_I am SO sorry,_" Hitomi said sincerely, while taking out a few napkins and search for a few more, "I didn't see you there—"

"Of course you didn't," he said simply, making Hitomi look up at him in curiosity. Shrugging it off, she continued to search for anything that would clean him off.

"I'm really sorry about that," she apologized frantically, "I mean, the soda was fizzing, and I was watching it, and I didn't see you, and I bumped into you," she laughed, "I'm really sorry."

"You should be. There's going to be a stain on my uniform, now."

Hitomi looked over at the girls, who were now coming forward to clean him off with their napkins and things that they had stuffed in their purses.

"Oh, Dliandau, not your _shirt_," whined one of the girls, who reached out, "I'm really sorry, that new girl is _so _clumsy."

"Oh, let me clean it up!" another chanted, "I feel bad _for _you…"

Hitomi gave them each disgusted looks. The boy looked over at the fangirls.

"_New girl_?" he added with a slight sarcastic tongue, "Oh, then I think _she _should clean it off and take full responsibility then."

Hitomi gawked at him. The soda was dripping off of his uniform and making a small puddle on the ground beneath him.

"Right?" a wicked smile came across his face. Hitomi gave him a dirty look.

"No, you know what? Screw you," Hitomi spat and through the spare napkins on him. All of the girls around him gasped, "I hope that leaves a dirty stain."

Hitomi turned on her heel and began to walk away.

"What _disrespect! How rude!_"

"_Ungrateful!_'

Hitomi felt someone grab her arm fiercely. Hitomi turned around. He still had that smirk on his face as she turned around.

"If you don't want to clean it off, then maybe you should _lick _it off."

The girls around him giggled with a wicked sense of humor. They were enjoying every moment of this, no doubt. Hitomi looked at him angrily in the eye, almost read to spit in his face.

"_Excuse me_," Hitomi hissed, "I told you that I was sorry, but I don't know if I want to clean it, let alone lick it off some asshole. If you'll excuse me please," Hitomi finished. The girls around her looked at her with contempt and looked back at Dilandau with an eager expression, awaiting his reply.

"You aren't leaving my sight until this stain is _clean_," he growled menacingly, "that would be _rude _of you…wouldn't it?"

"Hey."

Hitomi turned around to see who had stopped Dilandau from intimidating her. Dilandau turned to the source of the voice as well. The girls that were around the sight that Dilandau was making gawked in all of his glory.

Van Fanel glared viciously at Dilandau.

"Leave her alone," he said calmly.

Dilandau roughly pushed Hitomi away and turned to face Van, whom the crowd parted for.

"Oh, my, my. Look who it is? If it isn't Van Fanel himself?" Dilandau hissed sarcastically, "And of what business is this problem child to you?"

"You're a living inferiority complex," Van stated simply, "Scaring the shit out of those who respect you makes you feel good, doesn't it? I don't think Hitomi respects you, though. Maybe that's why she isn't scared."

_Van? What are you doing? Please stop that. Please don't bring this on to me_, Hitomi thought nervously.

"Like that's any of _your _business," Dilandau replied, "Always have to be the better hero, don't you?"

"I'm just doing what you don't have the guts to do," Van spat back. Dilandau smiled at him and turned around.

"One of these days, Van. Karma's gonna get you."

Dilandau walked away, leaving the girls around him speechless. They looked hungrily at Van, who looked at Hitomi, who was watching Dilandau with contempt as he waltzed away. The fangirls screamed.

"AAAAHHHHHH! _He actually walked PASSED me!_" the red-haired girl with glasses squealed as Van made his way over to Hitomi. The girls continued to rant about Dilandau.

"What a _jerk_," Hitomi whispered to herself before facing Van.

"Are you okay?" Van asked, "If he ever does that again, you be sure to tell me, I'll kick his ass for you, okay?"

Hitomi smiled.

"Thanks."

- - - -

Option approached. A girl with a loud megaphone in her hand with the dragonslayer's band poster in her hand yelled loudly into the megaphone.

"_DRAGONSLAYERS CONCERT TONIGHT! DRAGONSLAYER FANCLUB MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT!_" she yelled. Hitomi had to block her ears as she crossed the grass outside where the lunch area usually was.

She looked at the girl who was roaring loudly into the microphone. A blonde girl, with wavy-hair in a ponytail stood, shouting into the microphone. Hitomi looked at her with a curious look. There was a gigantic line of fangirls waiting at the table, money at the hand.

The blonde girl quickly put down her microphone and started to sell tickets, along with a few other girls. Each girl that paid for a ticket showed some sort of ID card.

_Membership card, probably, _Hitomi winced. There was a loud squealing of fangirls that came from the other direction. In fact, this whole school seemed to be filled with squealing fangirls.

Hitomi looked at the source of them.

"_OH MY GOD THERE HE IS!" _one girl screamed. Hitomi cocked her head to look forward. A group of girls that were at a distance peered over some bushes, giggling and sushing each other. Hitomi looked in their general direction.

A tall, well-built young man exited Gaia high into the courtyard, fashionably cut, chin-length dark brown hair drifting in the wind and cool, light blue eyes starring forward dully.

"_omgomgomgomgomgogmogmogmomgomgomgomgomg_…."

Hitomi let out a light groan of annoyance and the repeated gushing of the girls not too far away from her. She watched as he walked placidly out into the open, seating himself on the bench, and put his leg casually over the over, leaning one arm on the bench, as though he was looking for someone.

"_Wow, he is sooooo gorgeous!_"

Hitomi shook her head and walked in the other direction, looking for Azalea. Not really sure how important sitting with her was, she sat down on a nearby bench under a cherry tree, watching the boy look for someone.

She watched as Azalea approached him. Her heart jumped and she jumped up as well, smiling. Before she could even wave, Azalea waved to her, which prompted a glare from the fangirls that were spying on the boy sitting on the bench.

Not paying attention, Hitomi waved back and watched Azalea show her first finger at her, mouthing, 'one minute'. Azalea walked up to the boy sitting on the bench.

"_Oh my god, I wish _I _was Azalea…_"

She sat down next to him, and he looked delighted to see her. Hitomi instantly knew that the boy sitting on the bench must have been Dalet Meridian, Azalea's most talked about boyfriend. Azalea took his hand and started smiling as she heaved him up on the bench, tugging him forward playfully. She walked in Hitomi direction across the grass.

"_They make the _cutest _couple _ever…"

"_She's so perfect…_"

Hitomi looked up at the couple's approaching form. The girls watched the couple approach Hitomi, Azalea with a ginger smile upon her face.

"HI AZALEA!" they said in unison. Azalea sweatdropped and raised a hand, waving absent-mindedly. She stopped in front of Hitomi.

"Hey there," she said placidly, "We usually hang out over there in the gazebo," she said, pointing to the gazebo that was a few feet away. Hitomi turned to look at it and looked back at Azalea.

"Great," Hitomi smiled, "I'm going to go get something to eat, I'm starving, but I'll meet you over there, okay?"

Hitomi nodded and began to walk the other direction. Azalea turned the other way, hands still linked with Dalet, who walked placidly with her to the gazebo.

"Well that's not like you," Dalet whispered in her ear. Azalea looked straight forward.

"I know, but… I really like Hitomi. She's a very special person…"

- - - -

A/N: WAI! Hello again. Where are the other slayers you ask? Well, they're coming…:3 So please keep reviewing! Yes, this _is _a VxH…:)

Reviews:

Inda: Thank you:3

aan: Thanks for reading:3

Niru: Thank you:3

Honeypots: Long reviews are good. :3 Thank you!

Sakuya-Kaleido: You'll see...

One-winged-angel: Thank you for reading! Thanks for the Esca: AU love, and this will be a VxH...:3

Monty: Yeah, she did take it well, didn't she? lol Thank you for reading, and no, Van 3! He can't be evil! Thank you for revewing:3

f-zelda: Hitomi is based off of my Esca: AU fic. Not that much different, only appearence wise, with the long hair and everything. I'm going to try to include as much characters as I can, though it may be difficult because I find some of Escaflowne's characters father boring. / Thank you for reading:3

--FMB

(c) October 2nd, 2005


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